Ikea Makes a Beautiful, Melancholy Spot About Lighting

Film Is Set in an Inner City Housing Estate

By Alexandra Jardine.Published on Oct 06, 2016

Editor's Pick

It's not even time for U.K. Christmas ads yet, but Ikea seems to be channeling something of the heartwarming spirit of those spots in its latest commercial from Mother London. Promoting the retailer's lighting range, it concerns a little boy whose (single?) mother goes out to work, and arrives home in the dark. They live on an inner city housing estate, and to help light her way through the dark, concrete landscape and underpasses as she comes home, he borrows a whole bunch of lamps, lights and bulbs from friends and neighbours, transforming her rather bleak journey into something special.

Directed by Academy's Frederic Planchon, it's a low-key, but moving film, set to an appropriately melancholy soundtrack ("Lighthouse," by Patrick Watson from the album "Adventures in Your Own Backyard.").

Laurent Tiersen, Ikea U.K. and Ireland marketing manager, said in a statement, "During long, dark, Swedish winters, a well-lit home is an essential part of Scandinavian life because daylight is so limited. Yet in the U.K., we know that lighting is one of the most neglected areas of the home, being regarded as something you add to a room once it has been decorated. But lighting is an integral part of the home furnishing and can change the way your home works, looks and feels. After all, a bright, well-lit room lifts our spirits no matter the weather, leading to happier life at home."